Mediterranean eating habits are simple and can even cure patients who are already ill

“When Brits think of a Med diet they think big plates of pasta covered in sauce and deep pan pizzas — this is the total opposite of what we eat.

“We eat small portions of pasta as starters or small amounts of a main course.

“We cook the pasta in a fresh sauce rather than pouring it all over afterwards — this keeps it fresh and healthy rather than overindulgent.”

And it’s not just the way we eat pasta that is different from Med locals.

He says: “Pizza is not seen as a main meal to be eaten by one person.

“In Italy we eat pizza to share, as a small snack.

“Mediterranean chefs cook thin crust pizzas made with the right dough. If you want to make it healthy, it’s all about the topping. In the UK I see the rubbish people pile on top of a pizza.

“People overload it with tuna and chicken and lots of cheese. If you want to eat it like an Italian you cook the thin base then add the toppings raw — like fresh tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil.”

AMANDA SAYS: Many of us don’t get enough fibre so the breakfast with high fibre wholemeal ciabatta is a great start.
The salt level is particularly good, coming in at just under half the daily 6g maximum.

The research about the Med diet benefits, published by the NHS, showed patients with a history of heart attacks, strokes and blocked arteries were 37 per cent less likely to die over seven years if they ate the diet.

The research also found eating in this way could even be better than statins when it comes to preventing early death.

Giovanni de Gaetano, the senior author of the study, said: “So far research has focused on the general population, which is mainly composed of healthy people.

“What happens to people who have already suffered from cardiovascular disease? Is the Mediterranean diet optimal for them too?